Dasmall1's Journal

[dasmall1]

My plants came yesterday. All except my echinodorous tenellus!!! And they sent me anubias barteri, which I have nothing to do with. I planted everything except some glosso. I planted one bunch out of 3. I never expected the bunches to be so big, so I didn't know not to order so much. The cheap prices fooled me. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to make another tank! Anyway, here are some pictures. Not too great, I'm not very satisfied, especially since the chain sword is so important to the scape.

Full Tank Shots. Hornwort will be later replaced with hygrophila polysperma and I think I want to plant the rotala wallichii in more of a clump towards the back. Don't mind the floating glosso leaves.

I like this side

Some pearling, the only stuff I could get a good pic of. I think I'm getting a 5MP digital SLR for Christmas.

 

[Themuleous]

Promising what other plants you going to add? Sorry cant remember if this is a high light tank, if it is and you're running full lights, then Id get some more plants in there quick to fight the early algae, before it takes over.

Sam

 

[dasmall1]

Thanks. I am only running 2.25 wpg at the moment. No signs of algea yet. The pearling was a good sign in my eyes. I will be adding more plants in a few days. The plants that I definately want to have these plants to be satisfied: hygrophilia polysperma in place of the hornwort, blyxa japonica or eleocharis parvula behind the wood, and echinodorous tenellus. I think the side shot is very promising

 

[dasmall1]

It is Eleocharis montevidensis. I didn't know what it was, so I bought it. I don't think I like it, so I will probably eventually remove it unless someone does like it. I got a Fluval 205 today for $70. My friend works at PetSmart, and she got 30% off today. I replaced the carbon with plain foam pads. I hope to be able to replant today, but this filter setup is annoying.

 

[lljdma06]

Check you noxious weed list for the state of PA. It's a list that informs about invasive plant species that are threatening the local plant life, including aquatic plant life. Hygrophila polysperma is a particularly hardy spcies and may be on it. It is already banned in FL and IL, resulting in some online vendors no longer carrying the plant nor is it sold in LFS. If you have surplus plants and want to trade, the plant swap in the pinned section may be a good bet. Many of us swap with other members to get the plants we want.

Warmest,

llj

 

[dasmall1]

You're right, llj, it was added about a month ago. I saw it in a lfs last month and counted on being able to buy it there, but I guess that's what happens . Oh well, I replanted yesterday. I moved the rotala wallichii into it's own group towards the back. I also moved the rotala indica forward a little bit to leave room for whatever I put behind it. I will have updated pics in a couple days.

 

[dasmall1]

Update time I guess. I added 4 serpaes, 2 otos, and 6 ghost shrimp (because people these days can't count!). I am getting more serpaes today and probably some more otos. I added and removed some plants. I'm stilling waiting until I can first trim and start creating depth and terraces. I plan on putting something green and grassy behind the wood, maybe Potamageton gayi, and I will put echinodorus tenellus in front of the r. wallichii and r. rotundifolia on the right. But here's what it looks like now and some fish pics.

I will put a white background on for final pics, but for now, the black is still here

Serpaes

Oto! I love these guys

 

[Neal]

Looking good, the glosso has filled out quite a bit. I really like your tank, i'd like to do something similar with mine. I really love the wood. The sloped substrate also gives an excellent effect, it always does.

Neal

 

[Fwapp]

Really starting to look good. As Neal says, the wood looks good, almost rock-like, if you catch me.

Definatley a good idea to get some more plants in, especially fast growers to keep the algea down.

 

[lljdma06]

Watch your serpaes with ghost shrimp. Serpaes can get munchy if not fed enough. When you have an opportunity, up the school to at least 6. They are a blood characin and squabbles can get extremely rowdy at times. Otherwise, a lovely, active fish. You just wait until they color up. The color gets pretty intense.

Tank looks great, a bit symmetrical but as I said in BigIan's journal, don't worry about scaping yet, just get it stable and algae-free. Once that's done, you can fiddle with the scape all you want.

Great job!

llj

 

[dasmall1]

Right after update I went out and got 3 more serpaes to make it 7 total. I also got 2 more otos to make 4, and my LFS had blyxa japonica, so I bought it b/c I've been wanting. It is going behind the wood- pic soon.

 

[atmmachine816]

Looks good

 

[dasmall1]

This is what it looks like right now. There is about 7 serpaes, 4 otos, 10 ghost shrimp. I added hornwort to help with algae because I am starting to get some. Nothing too bad, no signs of deficency. CO2 30ppm, NO3 10 ppm day before adding, etc. First pic with the blyxa japonica. I love the highlight it adds behind the wood!. Don't mind the anubias barteri floating there.

 

[lljdma06]

I don't much care for hornwort, but in your tank, it looks quite good. The tank is really very lovely, and you've got a winning piece of wood in there. The blyxa japonica does highlight the wood very well.

What kind of algae is the tank getting? If it's a brown algae that sticks to decorations, wood, glass and such, then it's most likely diatoms. It is a common algae in new tanks and otos will make short work of it. It also goes away as the tank matures. Are you going to eventually plant the A. barterii?

llj

 

[dasmall1]

I'm going to give away the anubias. It was sent unexpectedly with my plant order.

As for the algea, I am getting hair algea and brown algea. Will the otos get the hair algea, too?